1. Field
This disclosure is directed to a method for preparing nanoparticles using carbene derivatives.
2. Description of the Related Art
Nanoparticles (also called “quantum dots”) are defined as crystalline materials having a size of a few nanometers, and consist of several hundred to several thousand atoms. Since such small-sized nanoparticles have a large surface area per unit volume, most of the constituent atoms of the nanoparticles are present on the surface of the nanoparticles. Based on this characteristic structure, nanoparticles exhibit quantum confinement effects and shows electrical, magnetic, optical, chemical and mechanical properties different from those inherent to the constituent atoms of the nanoparticles. Accordingly, semiconductor crystalline nanoparticles have attracted much attention, because they can be applied to various devices, based on novel photoelectric properties such as the ability to control energy bandgaps through variation in size.
Vapor deposition processes, including metal organic chemical vapor deposition (MOCVD) and molecular beam epitaxy (MBE), have been used to prepare nanoparticles. Further, a wet chemistry technique wherein a precursor material is added to an organic solvent to grow nanoparticles has made remarkable progress. According to the wet chemistry technique, as a crystal is grown, a surfanctant is coordinated to the surface of the nanocrystal to control the crystal growth. Accordingly, the wet chemistry technique has an advantage in that the size, shape and uniformity of nanocrystals can be controlled in a relatively simple manner at low cost, compared to conventional vapor deposition processes, e.g., MOCVD and MBE (molecular beam epitaxy).
The characteristics of precursors used are known to be one factor required for controlling the size, shape, structure and uniformity of nanoparticles which are synthesized by controlling reaction mechanism or reaction rate. Precursors used to efficiently synthesize nanoparticles are limited to several types of materials.
Accordingly, research has been made on precursors capable of more efficiently controlling the size, shape, structure and uniformity of nanoparticles upon synthesis of the nanoparticles.